Fork



Aug. 14, 1934.

H. D. HOMAN v 1,970,093

FORK

Filed ed. 25, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor 5; j gmm Patented Aug. 14, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in forks and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, an instrument of this character embodying a novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts through the medium of which small objects, and particularly jig saw puzzle pieces, may be conveniently lifted and placed in position.

Another very important object of the invention is to provide a fork of the aforementioned character embodying novel means for releasing or disengaging the objects which are lifted.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a fork of the character described which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, efficient and reliable in use, compact and which may be manufactured at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:-

v Figure 4 is a bottom plan view.

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view through the handle, taken substantially on the line 5--5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the sheath.

Figure 7 is a view in side elevation of the sheath.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises a tubular handle 1 having its lower end portion internally threaded for the reception of a boss 2 which rises from a metallic body 3. Anchored in the body 3 and depending therefrom is a pair of spaced, parallel prongs or tines 4.

Slidably mounted in the body 3 is a stripping rod 5 which extends between the prongs 4 and terminate in a blunt lower end 6 which is normally disposed above the lower extremities of the prongs 4, as best seen in Figure 2 of the drawings.

The stripping rod 5 extends centrally through the tubular handle 1 and has fixed on its upper end an operating button or head '7 which projects from the upper end of said tubular handle 1. The button 7 includes an enlarged lower end portion 8 providing a shoulder 9 for engagement with an internal flange 10 which is spun on the upper end of the tubular handle 1. A coil spring 11 encircles the stripping rod 5 in the handle 1 and has one end engaged on the boss 2 and its other end engaged beneath the button 7 for yieldingly urging the stripping rod upwardly to its inoperative or retracted position. The shoulder 9 on the button 7 limits the upward movement of the stripping rod 5 under impulsion by the coil spring 11, as will be apparent.

The reference numeral 12 designates generally a sheath for the prongs 4 and stripping rod 5 when the fork is not in use. The sheath 12 is formed from a single sheet of metal which is bent or folded upon itself in a manner to provide a pair of integral, opposed walls 13. The opposed metallic walls 13 have formed therein complemental internal channels providing sockets 14 for the reception of the prongs 4 and the stripping rod 5. Of course, the sheath 12 is of resilient sheet metal for frictionally gripping the prongs 4 and stripping rod 5 between the opposed walls 13.

In use, the points of the prongs 4 are embedded in the object to be lifted, such as a jig saw puzzle piece, and said object is then placed in the desired position. The thumb of the hand in which the handle 1 is gripped is then engaged with the button 7 for depressing the stripping rod 5 against the tension of the coil spring 11 for disengaging the object from the prongs, as best seen in Figure 3 of the drawings, wherein an object is shown in broken lines and indicated by the reference numeral 15. When pressure is removed from the button '7, the spring 11 functions to raise the stripping rod 5 to retracted position. As hereinbefore stated, when the fork is not in use, the sheath 12 is slipped on the prongs m0 4 and the stripping rod 5 fro-m the lower ends thereof, said sheath frictionally gripping the prongs and stripping rod.

It is believed that the many advantages of a fork constructed in accordance with the present 105 invention will be readily understood, and although the preferred embodiment of the invention is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangeo ment of parts may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:-

1. A fork of the character described comprising a tubular handle, a body detachably mounted on one end of the tubular handle, spaced, parallel prongs anchored in the body, a stripping rod extending slidably through the body into the handle, said stripping rod being operable between the prongs, a button fixed on one end of the stripping rod and projecting from the other end of the handle, an inturned flange on said other end of the handle, the button including an enlarged end portion providing a shoulder en gageable with the flange, the enlarged end portion of said button being in guiding engagement with the inner wall of said handle, and a spring mounted in the handle and interposed between the body and button for yieldingly urging the stripping rod toward retracted position.

2. A fork of the character described comprising a tubular handle having an internally threaded lower end portion, a metallic body engaged with the lower end of the handle, a threaded boss integral with the body and threadedly engaged in the handle, a pair of spaced, parallel prongs anchored in the body and depending therefrom, a stripping rod slidably mounted in the body and extending therefrom between the prongs, said stripping rod extending longitudinally through the tubular handle, an inturned flange on the upper end of the tubular handle, an elongated button fixed on the upper end of the stripping rod and projecting from the upper end of the handle, said button including an enlarged lower end portion providing a stop shoulder engageable with the flange, the enlarged lower end portion of said button being in guiding engagement with the inner wall of said handle, and a coil spring encircling the stripping rod in the handle and interposed between the body and button for yieldingly urging said stripping rod toward retracted position.

HENRY D. HOMAN. 

